Distant Galaxy Collision Imaged Through Gravitational Lensing

The European Southern observatory and with the help of other agencies, has imaged a galactic collission that happened when the Universe was half its age using gravitational lensing.

Using state of the art instruments from all around the world, on the ground and in space, ESO has imaged galaxy H-ATLAS J142935.3-002836 in collision with another galaxy.

With the help of gravitational lensing which uses Einstein's theory that light can be bent given enough mass, scientists were able to study objects which would not be visible otherwise and to directly compare local galaxies with much more remote ones, seen when the Universe was significantly younger.

The image above shows the foreground galaxy that is doing the lensing, which resembles how our home galaxy, the Milky Way, would appear if seen edge-on. But around this galaxy there is an almost complete ring — the smeared out image of a star-forming galaxy merger far beyond.

In his theory of general relativity, Einstein predicted that given enough mass, light does not travel in a straight line but will be bent in a similar way to light refracted by a normal lens.”

Gravitational lensing is done with the help of galaxies and galaxy clusters which provides the mass that deflects light from objects behind them due to their strong gravity. The magnifying properties of this effect allow astronomers to study these objects.

The collision of H-ATLAS J142935.3-002836 was gathered using three ESO telescopes, the ALMA, APEX and VISTA, and with assistance of other telescopes and surveys namely: NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the Gemini South telescope, the Keck-II telescope, the NASA Spitzer Space Telescope, the Jansky Very Large Array, CARMA, IRAM and SDSS and WISE.

ALMA Telescope Finds Evidence of Newly Formed Dust Made from Supernova

Artist's impression of dustfilled supernova 1987A
Credit: Alexandra Angelich (NRAO/AUI/NSF)

Researchers have captured an image of supernova 1987A with newly formed dust that was not present when the supernova was discovered. The amount of new dust comprises about 25% of the Sun's mass.

This observation gives direct evidence to support the theory of the dust making abilities of a supernova. It can also explain why young and newly formed galaxies have a dusty, dusky appearance.

When the supernova was discovered in 1987, the closest observed supernova explosion since 1604, there was only a small amount of dust observed at the time. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, researchers discovered the amount of dust now in the supernova has significantly increased as well as huge amounts of newly formed carbon monoxide and silicon monoxide gas.

The artists impression above shows SN 1987A's inner regions in red where huge amounts of dust were detected and imaged by ALMA. This inner region is contrasted with the outer shell (lacy white and blue circles), where the energy from the supernova is colliding with the envelope of gas ejected from the star prior to its powerful detonation.

Supernova SN 1987 was first observed in February 1987 and achieved peak brightness in May of that year. SN 1987 is around 168,000 light-years away and is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Pinpoints More Than A Hundred Star Forming Galaxies

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array image shows close-ups of galaxies. The ALMA observations, at submillimetre wavelengths, are shown in orange/red and are overlaid on an infrared view of the region as seen by the IRAC camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array imaged in deep detail 126 galaxies where stars are formed. Previously, these dusty galaxies were difficult to observe because of the available imaging technology. But with the ALMA, each galaxy were imaged in rich detail in minutes.

In the constellation Fornax, meaning The Furnace, lies the Chandra Deep Field South. This region is extensively observed and studied by scientists. Using the ALMA telescope, 126 galaxies were captured in deep and high resolution images.

Planet Forming Disc of Gas And Dust Around Star HD 142527 Observed

Artist's impression of the disc of gas and dust forming around young star HD 142527

The European Southern Observatory's ALMA space telescope has directly observed for the first time a disc of cosmic dust and gas around a young star, HD 142527. This material is believed to further form into giant planets.

Just like stars, astronomers believe that planets are also formed when clouds of cosmic dust and gas start to clump together and gain mass. These planets form from the residual material of a newly born star.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope has helped astronomers look more closely and clearly into space by detecting near infrared light which is hard to detect and invisible to the eye. The telescope which will be fully inaugurated by March 2013, has 66 high-precision antennas, spread over distances of up to 16 kilometers.

The ALMA space telescope performs very well on these clouds of gas and dust which are dense and dark.

ESO Installs Supercomputer At ALMA Facility - The ALMA Correlator

The ALMA correlator

One of the fastest supercomuter, the ALMA correlator, has been fully installed and tested at the ALMA astronomical facility in Chile. With over 134 million processors and performance up to 17 quadrillion operations per second, the ALMA correlator is one of the fastest supercomputers in existence today.

The Atacama Large Millimeter /submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a space telescope located on the Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes. It has 66 high-precision antennas, spread over distances of up to 16 kilometres. The facility is partially operational and will be fully completed by March 2013.

ALMA studies light emitted by some of the coldest objects in space. Since these objects emit light that is hardly detected, the ALMA looks at wavelengths between infrared light and radio waves. This is known as millimeter and submillimeter radiation. The telescope can detect light emitted by objects that are a few degrees above absolute zero.

The space telescope can help astronomers study the chemical and physical conditions in molecular clouds where stars are produced. These clouds are made up of dense gas and dust which are dark and obscured in visible light, much like clouds in the sky are. By detecting the light emitted in near infrared, ALMA can detect and collect data from these objects.

With the installation of the ALMA correlator, it will increase the sensitivity and image quality of its observation of outer space.

Strange Spiral Structure Discovered Around Red Giant Star By Astronomers

Curious spiral spotted by ALMA around red giant star R Sculptoris

A strange spiral structure was discovered by astronomers around a red giant star. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, astronomers discovered that R. Sculptoris, an old red giant star, has a surprising spiral structure around it.

Astronomers believe that this structure is ejected material from the star. It forms the surprising spiral shape because of another companion star orbiting R Sculptoris. The orbit of the star may influence stellar winds shaping the material into the spiral structure discovered.

Astronomers have yet to discover this unseen companion star.

Although strange, red giants eject hot material later in its life. These materials are made up of dust and gasses that later on form into other stars, planets, and other interstellar objects. Initially, these materials form a gas and dust cloud in outer space called a nebula/nebulae.

The imaging telescope used is the ALMA. It is the most powerful telescope in the world. It covers sixteen kilometers of 66 high-precision antennas high up in the Chajnantor plateau in the Chilean Andes.

Using light wavelengths between infrared light and radio waves, the telescope can detect light from cold objects at near absolute zero temperatures in space. Usually, the light emitted is not detected by standard telescopes but since ALMA works in the what is called the millimeter/submillimeter radiation, it can be imaged.

Objects such as gas and dust clouds in space are often the target by ALMA since these areas are dark, cold and obscured by visible light.

ESO Press Release: Surprising Spiral Structure Spotted by ALMA

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered a totally unexpected spiral structure in the material around the old star R Sculptoris. This is the first time that such a structure, along with an outer spherical shell, has been found around a red giant star. It is also the first time that astronomers could get full three-dimensional information about such a spiral. The strange shape was probably created by a hidden companion star orbiting the red giant. This work is one of the first ALMA early science results to be published and it appears in the journal Nature this week.

A team using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the most powerful millimetre/submillimetre telescope in the world, has discovered a surprising spiral structure in the gas around the red giant star R Sculptoris [1][2][3]. This means that there is probably a previously unseen companion star orbiting the star [4]. The astronomers were also surprised to find that far more material than expected had been ejected by the red giant.